Coffee and the Great British Office Party!

Article by Jack Brookes19th December 2017

Gone are the days when the festive season consisted of a boozy bash in the staff canteen, abounding in lukewarm sausage rolls and pork pies; when everyone, including the boss, traipsed in the next morning, head in hands, to nurse a miserable cup of instant while hissing at the photocopier to just keep it down a bit! Office workers of Britain, we have moved on!

A change of drinking culture

With fewer young people drinking alcohol in Britain than ever before and the growing diversity of Britain’s workplace, the festive season has had to keep up. Let’s not forget that not everyone these days celebrates Christmas and many people choose not to drink alcohol, whether for religious, cultural or health reasons. The traditional office party, complete with cringe-worthy karaoke on the boss’s desk, is on its way out.

The traditional party has evolved into something that includes everyone. Its primary purpose is teambuilding and a much needed moral boost in the middle of a bleak UK winter. Perhaps your office opts for a meal out together or, even, paintballing in the rain. Maybe popular vote does decide to go the traditional route and that’s great. But now more than ever, the organisers of such events are looking for ways to make them appeal to everyone.

The office elixir!

What is it these days that really makes an office hum? What keeps the wheels of productivity grinding, facilitates the flow of ideas and, most importantly, warms your hands when the heating is just not playing ball? Well, there are few things that do it better than a rich, steaming mug of good coffee. These days, fewer people are in the habit of nipping out for a cigarette in the pouring rain to have a welcome five minutes away from their desks. Now, we tend to stay inside, in the warm and gravitate towards the coffee machine, the new hub of chitchat and energy.

So, why not make coffee an integral part of our festive celebrations? With the range of commercial coffee machines available, there is a lot of fun to be had. Why not organise a mini barista course as part of your office party? Who doesn’t want to see who makes the worst flat white and who can draw the rudest picture in the foam of their latte? You can also contribute to the party mood with some coffee based alcoholic drinks – Vodka Espresso being the natural trade for Vodka Red Bull! It’s not pulling pints, but pulling espresso shots this year.

Coffee takes the pain away…

…of the morning after! Plus, the benefits will stay with you year round and many a Monday morning. Imagine this, you stumble into work the morning after the party and, instead of having to mix up a mug of dusty instant that has been sitting on the shelf in the kitchen since some time in the 90s, you just have to hit a button on your bean to cup coffee machine, and a real, freshly ground, espresso is waiting for you.